


Voltron: The Gray Paladin

by Naruko885



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abuse, Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Cuban Lance (Voltron), F/F, F/M, Family Don't End in Blood, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Flashbacks, Hawaiian Hunk (Voltron), Hurt Shiro (Voltron), Lesbian Allura (Voltron), Love, Mentions of Other Voltron Paladins, Multi, Other, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Rape, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Romance, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Space Uncle Coran (Voltron), Team Bonding, Team as Family, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2018-12-07 21:57:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11632728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naruko885/pseuds/Naruko885
Summary: After years of abuse and being abandoned, twenty-two year old Grace Hillcrest decides to end it all. She didn't imagine that she would wake up in the Voltron universe as a Palidan of Voltron.Past and present Gray Paladin Oc.The color gray Safety, reliability, intelligence, melancholy, modesty, dignity, maturity, soundness, functionality, old age and grief.





	1. Chapter One: I Am Here, I Am Grace

WARNING:This chapter has self harm and suicide in it, please be advised. 

Note: So this is my first Voltron Fanfiction so I hope you like it. This story does have alot of fucked up shit in it especially this first chapter. The next chapter will be more about Voltron but this is just the introduction to it.

Grace and Cass and Jack are my Oc's so please do not bash them. Thank you, please leave a comment so I know if I should keep posting and also I know I have some bad spelling but that's what you get when you can't get a proof reader. 

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www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L3wKzyIN1yk&ved=0ahUKEwj03du15KrVAhUGOT4KHVXgAs8Qo7QBCB8wAQ&usg=AFQjCNEvEujBq7UPn6A7mCr4qjU08c4Hog

Grace Hillcrest stared out of the bus window as it moved faster out of the busy city. Normal plain and boring was all the day was for her, she sighed as she looked at the passing scenery outside the bus. The twenty-two year old women could not get over how much she hated her life and job. Ever moment felt like a living hell in her eyes, the way the world moved in front of her eyes how her mind melded all of the sound of the world outside in her head. 

She wished that she could have just had a normal life like other kids had, that her mother hadn't died and that her father abandoned her and blamed her for everything. A tear slid down her cheek as she closed her eyes. She had to stop thinking about it, she was so close to breaking, she had to stay strong for her and Cass. She had to be the strong one for the two of them. Grace jumped at the sound of the bus doors opening with a loud gush of air, quickly getting up she grabbed her purse off the seat next to her and walked off the bus.

After stepping off the bus she looked around for a moment searching for the small motorbike that Cass drove, she had promised to pick her up after work for ones. Grace was sure as hell not walking 10 miles back to her house on the one day she didn't drive her motorcycle to the bus stop. Out of nowhere a bust pile hit her right in the face making the taller girl step back and let out a small set of coughs.  
   
A set of high pitched giggles filled the air as she wiped the dust out of her hazel colored eyes. Her eyes focused on the dark blue helmet of the girl in front of her on a small pink moped who was pointing and laughing at her making Grace roll her eyes at the Blonde haired girl.  
   
After a few moments and a eye roll she jumped on the back of the tiny moped. Cass cranked the engine of the small motorbike and sped off onto the small street of the country like town. Grace rested her head on the girls sholder as she closed her eyes ones again. No one would ever find her here, the town was to small to quite for anyone to find her. This is what she wanted yet she still felt hopeless, she couldn't get away from her past or her mind at this point.

Her tears caught in the wind as the two women speed down the small street of the town. As quickly as she got on the bike the quicker she got off. Throwing her bag over her shoulder as the bike came to a stop in front of the small two bedroom house. She shifted off the bike and looked at Cass with a small smile, Cass smiled back even wider saying "So you ready for tomorrow? Jack said he was going to take us to some fancy smanscy restaurant in the city for date night. I can't wait! Grace you aren't going to believe how much fun it is!!" She smiled even bigger if it was even possible at the other girl. 

Grace put on a fake smile as she said " I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun Cass. I'll make sure to ware something extra nice. Jack does have a thing for the nice things in life. See you tomorrow girl." Cass just laughed and speed out of the driveway and back onto the road. Grace just shock her head and turned back turned back to her house and headed in.

She unlocked the door and walked into the house slamming the door behind her and throwing her purse on the counter next to the door. She sat down in front of her t.v set and flicked on her Netflix to the last episode of the show she was watching the night before. She gave a small genuine smile as she looked at the screen, Voltron:Legendary defender's. The show had sparked her interest the month it came out, after watching the original for giggles when she was younger, she still couldn't get over the bad voice acting from back then.

The show had popped up in her recommend section and she could help but watch one episode for fun. In a matter of episodes she had fell for the show all over again, it gave her time not to over think everything like she did all the time every time she got home. Her smile turned into a frown as she looked at the screen, why couldn't she get over this? The depression and anxiety had taken over in the past few years even more then when she was a child. After her mom died her anxiety had spiked, after a year of more abuse from her father he was sick of her and abandoned her by putting her on a bus and letting it take her. She was fifteent when she left, she didn't have anyone for a long time and turned to the street for money. Dark years where all she could remember until she meet Cass, A working girl just like her. 

The two girls meet and made a deep friendship and planed a escape from there pimp together,  it worked at the two made it out. Everyday after that was even harder but the two stuck together and made it, Cass found work in a small dinner in the small town they had excepted to and Grace was able to get a job in a clothing factory in the city. Cass meet a sweet but rich young man named Jack who had just been passing by for work and the two fell in love,  but with this came Grace being left out.

Grace didn't mind, Cass was happy and she was happy for her, but she was still lonely. The two love birds tryed to include her by taking her out on there dates but she just felt like the third wheel. She was happy for them but not with herself. 

Grace jumped out of the chair with a deep breath,  she can't think like that. She had to keep going. Tears streamed down her face as she closed her eyes and let out a loud sob. Tears wouldn't stop coming down her face as she got out of the chair with the remote still in her hand. She flipped the last episode of season two on and walked into the bathroom that was just a few feet away from the living room where the t.v was. 

She set the remote down on the corner of the sink and put the lid down of the toilet before sitting down on it. Putting her face in her hands she wiped some of the tears out of her eyes before she reached into her Pocket and pulling out her phone and dialing Class's number. When ever she was in a mood like this she would call her just to let her know what was going on. After a few moments of dial up noises the phone went straight to voice-mail making her groan. Cass's voice came from the other end of the phone "High you reached Cass and Jack where not in right now, where probably setting up are wedding plans!Please leave your name and number and we will get right back to you!" With a shaking voice she said " Cass, it's me... uh Grace, I just... I just really need to talk to you, but if you can't get me... just know I love you man, and I don't mean the shit that I've been doing. Just just call me ok. Bye". 

Grace hung up and let out a deep breath before getting up and throwing the phone into the wall letting it shatter and fall to the floor. She paced around the room for a few minutes, wedding?Cass never said anything! That where best friends, she said the small ring was just a promise ring not a marry-me-right-now ring! 

It was fine. She made the call and it was fine. She stepped in front of the sink mirror and looked at the person in front of her, or what was left of her. As a child she had light rich Brown hair with a tint of red to it but now was short and sickening pale. Her eyes still held wisdom far from her short years but where now sunk into her sockets making her look sick and sad. Her ones slightly chubby body with milky white skin was now skinny and white with red splotches from hard labor and sickness. 

She wished her father had just killed her years ago. Tears flowed heavier as she looked though sink mirror trying to find her box of glass shards that she used to cut. Cutting was stupid as it was but using razor blades made her feel even worse about what she was doing to her body. Shakily she found the box and pulled it down from the shelf and set it on the counter and flipped the lid open. After years of not cutting about a year ago she fell back into the habit, she had gotten so upset she punched the mirror in her room, shattering allover her bedroom floor.  She had picked up all the fragments and put them in the tiny box to use.

She picked up on of shards and set it on the counter as she pulled her Long sleeves up of her shirt, showing all of the years of self harm scars she had tried so hard to hide over the past few weeks. Some still bleed soking the sleeves of her shirt.

She grabbed the shard from the counter and sat on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. Finding a new spot she dug the sharp glass into her arm, letting out a small his after the first few cuts. It was nice, the feeling. It made her feel warm, she couldn't explain the full effect it made her feel every time she put a intention into her skin. Before she could realis how deep she was going she dug into her wrist with the shard. Her eyes shot open and the ones good feeling was gone and filled with a burning searing pain met her wrist and flowed into her veins. Looking down she could believe how much blood was seeping out of her skin just a few seconds and there was a small pool of blood forming under her arm on the floor.

Her eyes quickly shot around the room looking for something to stop the bleeding, nothing and her phone was shattered just inches away from her. Her breaths started to get shorted and deeper as minuets went on. Her head shifted to the side staring out into the living room. The bright lights of the t.v made her focus for a few moments, her mind becoming hazy and her hearing going. She chuckled, at least she could say she finished something in her life. Maybe she could still watch the show in hell. The last thing she could make out before she passed out was the slight of voltron being formed on the t.v screen.


	2. Chapter Two:Palidan Material

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dg7RQ1BHCB98&ved=0ahUKEwi7qoj5uavVAhXC1CYKHZ-PCvcQo7QBCCEwAg&usg=AFQjCNEgJREu6cOg_6S-dW541hPRlzg8rg

Darkness and freezing cold was all I could feel after what I thought was death. If I could talk I would be laughing at myself for how stupid I was being, I should have been paying attention to how deep and where I was cutting in the first place. If I had been watching what I was doing it would probably be still alive. The only question I was wondering about was, why could I still feel? How was it still talking to myself?! Dead people don't have mind conversations, at least to my knowledge that aren't. 

Before I could think any more about the situation and sizzling like sound filled my ears and warmth spread across my face and hands. I couldn't move as I started to fall forward but strong arms wrapped around me as I fell, the person who caught me brushed a bit of hair from my face making my nose scrunch up, the person seemed to find it humorous because the next moment the room was filled with a loud deep laughing. 

My eyes fluttered open and I blinked a few times before fully opening them do to the bright lights of the room. Blinking thought the light a few more times let me finally let me see where I was and who was holding me. White walls and blue and gold trimming wrapped around the large room almost making it sparkle in the crisp bright light. The light made a shadow cover the persons face that was holding me invisible.

I lifted one of my arms and ran my hand up the persons face to there hair and gently swept it to the side of there head, if I could at the moment I would have gasped at the man's face. He looked even more handsome then he did in the show. White hair mixed with Dark chocolate skin and bright light blue eyes that had a spark to them that made you really wonder how old the man really was in spirit. It was King Alfor of Altean. 

A thousand questions ran though my head but all I could do was look up at the man. For the first time in what felt like years I giggled at Alfor as I smoothed his hair back. He seemed shocked for a moment,  his eyes widened for a few moments before he blinked and chucked down at me saying " Well I cant believe how young you are my new paladin, I was thinking you would be much older like the rest of us, we then again Coran is vary young and he himself is a Paladin of Voltron." 

The laughter from the two of you died down after a while. You looked up at him saying " What do you mean, new Paladin? I can't be a Paladin for Voltron." My voice died down at the end of the statement making the King pat my head saying " But of course you are young one, we don't choose are lions are lions choose us. And your lion had choose you out of every one in the galaxy's. Only you caught the Lions eye." 

King Alfor got up leaving me on the floor before he held a hand out for me. I grabbed his hand and he helped me up. My legs felt like jelly as I got up and the two of us made are way out of the door of the room. The king had lent me his arm as the two of us made are way down a hall, at this point i guessed it was a older version of the castle. The hall smelled of mint and wine, it made me wonder why for a moment before I just shrugged, to much work thinking about it at this point.

I looked down the hall saying " So, if I where a Paladin. What lion choose me? I don't believe I hold any of the talents of any of lions vary well..." I puffed out my cheeks at the end. He didn't seem to notice saying " You are wrong there young paladin, let me show you to your lion, I believe she is waiting to meet you. Has been for a vary long time." You nodded saying " What ever you sat, she'd be the first one to ever wait for me." The king just chuckled at the statement and lead me father down the long hall way.

The two of us stopped in front of a large set of metal door, Alfor moved his hand over the door and it creaked open. Walking in i was meet with the smell of metal and sweat, it almost smelled like every metal shop I had been to in my whole life. The scent made me shiver but in a good way. Out of nowhere a man in goggles came out from behind a wall. Long orange hair in a small rat tail hung down a little over his sholder and a bright orange mustache flared out from under his nose, it was Coran! He snapped the goggles off and smiled at the two of us and walked over. 

I smiled brightly at him and he smiled even bigger at the two of use saying "Well King Alfor I see you have brought the new Paladin! I didn't think it would be a women....A vary pretty one at that!" He gently grabbed the hand that I wasn't using to hold onto King Alfor arm and held my hand. He gave the back of my hand a small kiss before giving me a small wink and letting go. I slowly pulled my hand back and held it to my cheast, which felt bigger then it did before. My cheeks felt like they where on fire for a moment as I replayed the scene of Coran again in my head. I know Coran was a bit of a flirt when he was younger but wow! Did he really know how to make a girls heat throb for a minute. I giggled for a moment before saying " It is a pleasure to meet you, my names is Grace, Grace Hillcrest. And I am guessing from what the King had told me a new Paladin. But of what lion he had yet to tell me." I pouted at the King for a moment before I looked back at Coran Who seemed to find the scene a bit funny.

He said with a slight grin " Well I my lady am Coran, Paladin of the Yellow lion. If you would please follow me I will show you to your lion." He held his arm out for me to take. I happily took it before looking back at the King who simply nodded as he followed the two of us. Coran led me to a lion that had a sheet covering so you couldn't see what was under it. I felt my heart jump as I looked at it. It felt like I had meet this lion before, like it was a person at some point. I let go of Coran and walked up to the lion, the feeling got even stronger the closer I got to the lion. I felt like I had known the lion sense I was born, like it was there the whole way, watching me, seeing everything that had happened. 

Tears formed in my eyes as I lifted a shaking hands to the sheet before I ripped it off. It was like the whole moment was in slow motion for me. The Lions eyes, ones dark and dead light up into a bright yellow and it pureed to life in a instant. It's eyes looked down at me until are eyes meet.

A loud deep female voice made me step even closer " Hello little one~ it is so nice to meet you. I have been waiting and waiting to finally meet you in person. You look so much better then the last time I saw you Grace." My eyes widened as tears still fell down my face but I quickly tryed my best to dry them away whispering as I got closer " How, How long have you been watching me for?"

It the lion could smile I know she would. I placed my hand on her head as she bent down for me. The touch felt like I was touching and bag of pillows, warm and soft not a giant metal lion. The lion almost hummed under my touch. She replied " Years my child year, I am so so vary sorry. I wish I could have helped you. You must understand, I could not interfere with the laws of time and nature. For that I am deeply sorry." Her voice sounded like it was about to cry at this point. 

I hugged the tip of her nose, this was the bond of a lion and her paladin. It was amazing, it was warm and soft I wanted to stay like this forever. I got back up to a standing pose and looked back at Coran and the King as I cleared my throat saying " Well I guess I have no other choice but to become the Gray lions Paladin. Now, what am I supposed to do??" I scratched the back of my head out of pure fun. The two mean just chuckled before walking over to me. That's the day I started my new life as the Gray Paladin. 

-Time skip-

It had been a few months since I had arrived in the world of Voltron and became the Gray Paladin. I loved to mess with the King and he seemed to find my little pranks to be vary funny witch I was happy for. I never really meet little Allura, she was always busy playing with her father and I didn't want to mess with them. But I would always find the time to leave small little presents for her around for her to find around the castle,  she seemed to like them from what I could tell from watching from afar. 

Small little things like sweets and baked goods and even small pieces of jewelry like bracelets, I remembered that she liked sparkle things so I ended up making her a small little ring for her tiny finger. Her face lite up like a light bulb when she found it outside her door. My heart melted at the sight.

As nice as it was I didn't spend much time in the main part of the castle. I spent most of my time in the Lions hanger with Gray and Coran. Coran seemed to be amazed at how I could make any kind of meal from the smallest things and oddest equipment. I was just lucky I remembered all of my tips and tricks from living on the streets. It was nice to know that I could use those old habits now even when I didn't need them.

As time grow on I spent time trying to make my bond with Gray even stronger, it was relatively easy. I just had to hang out with her. I would spend the rest of my time training with Coran. I was still a Paladin and I need to really learn how to fight, not just throw a few punchs and kicks to save my ass. Coran didn't go easy on me at all, at first I thought he was going to be easy to go up against but I was so wrong, he was like the hulk! He was nice and sweet but meet him on the battlefield and he was no game no life kind of man. 

The training did a number on my body but for the good. My eating and sleeping habits had changed and for the good. I gained my original weight back and I was more hyper and happy. My skinny body did a back flip and I went back to my healthier normal chubby body. I filled out more in the right places and mussels formed. I was happy. I don't want it to end. But it did a little to early for my liking. 

King Alfor had told me to meet him in the main part of the castle for a special surprise, he said it had something to do with Gray. 

I strolled down the hall and into the main control room to find Alfor sitting in a chair near a glass case with a suit in it. I walked over to him and waved saying " So you wanted to talk to me?" He nodded and stud up, looking at the case in front of us. It was white with Gray trim and the Voltron symbol a bright gold. He looked at me from the corner of his eyes saying " This suit is for you Grace, I wanted to talk to you about Gray, what she is made for. " I blinked a few time, that was a question I had been asking my self since I first became a Paladin. 

I looked at the case saying " Yes I have been meaning to ask you about that for some time now." He pressed a button that opens the case and slowly slid the suit out and handed it to me. He pointed to a small wooden screen that was set up next to the case. I quickly got the hint and moved behind the screen and started changing. Alfor replied as I got dressed in the suit " Grace, as much as you think you show no signs of the traits of any of the other paladins,  you do, small ones. Your lion represents the heart of Voltron, the piece that holds the whole thing together. You rely on logic like red, your instinct guides you like blue, your care for others more then yourself like yellow, your smart like green, and most of all you can build a bond so tight and lead like Black. You are the heart of Voltron." 

Thinking back to every moment of my life, he was right. I looked down at myself in the nice gray suit. This is who I am, I am the heart of Voltron. A smile split on my face as I came out from behind the screen. Tears of joy welled in my eyes as I looked at Alfor, he gave a soft smile as I ran over to him and gave him a hug. He patted my back. Out of nowhere he picked me up and started to move, startled I said " What? King Alfor, where are we going?" He didn't rely until he set me down in front to what felt like a cool glass panel. He was starting to scare me a bit. He pressed a button near him and the panel behind me open with a airy gasp almost making me fall back. 

He walked up to me and held both of my arms saying " After hearing this you understand why I have to do this, I hope. I am sorry Grace please forgive me." He kissed my forehead. I looked up at him saying " What do you mean forg-!!" Before I could do anything Alfor pushed me into the pod thing behind me and closed the panel door.

He held his hand to the panel and I held mine over his, he pushed a button and cold was all I felt just like before.

\----------time skip-----------  
The loud swish of the Pod got me up as soon as the door open. I looked around as a loud boom of what sound like a explosion hit the castle. The floor rumbled and made me fly into the pod door ones again, knocking the wind out of me. Getting my breath back I looked around trying to find out what was going on. My eyes widened as I realised what was happening. Zarcon's attack. That's how long I had been asleep. I looked around finding that my pod had been moved out of the control room, I back tracked into the control room fighting and taking down a few Galra soldier along the way. I had finally got into the control room slamming the door shut as King Alfor made a loud command to Coran. 

So much had changed Tiny Allura was no longer a child but a women fighting along side her father, Coran had aged well, the mad spark in his eyes had yet to fade making me smile for a moment. I looked at the King saying " King Alfor, Grace Hillcrest Paladin of the Gray lions ready for orders sir!" Alfor head whipped around as did Princess Allura's, Coran stayed quite during the whole moment. King almost screamed at me saying " Grace you are not!!! How is she awake Coran!" Coran's eyes stayed sharp on the control panel in front of him saying " I awake her my King, I could not let her sleep through this and never know what happened. My King!! What if she dies, she would never know why!! She is not only your friend but mine as well. I can not watch her go though this!" Coran looked like he was about to cry at this point. 

I looked back up at Alfor saying " I am here to defend my world my King! Let me protect it!" King sighed and looked back to the open window of the castle. He replied lowly " Coran take her to the escape pod, send the lion with her. This is her only hope to live." He looked away from me and didn't look back. Coran gently grabbed my arm and pulled me to the escape pod. He looked me in the eyes say, almost Weeping " I am so sorry Grace. I should have told you about the attack oh so many years ago. We love you so much Grace please forgive the King. Please, please forgive me!" He kissed my forehead and down to the brige of my nose tears leaked down his cheeks and onto mine as he held his forhead to mine. 

Quickly and quietly I said with my eyes closed " I will always forgive you, my one true gentle men. You are always in my heart, nothing can change that. We will meet again I promise. " 

We opened are eyes and I laid a kiss on his cheek and pushed him out of the pod. He wiped his eyes and pushed the button. I smiled at him though the window and rested my hand on the glass.

For the 3rd time, my body went cold and I was frozen in time in a pod ones again. This time because I wanted to be.


	3. Chapter Three:The Lions Speech

I was ones again frozen in a healing pod. I was happy that I at least got to see The King and Coran again before I was thrown into a pod again. Even in sleep i missed them. Uh, I never been this emotional with people before, I wonder if it's a Altura thing making my "womanly hormones" go up and down.

The world was still black,cold and quiet like the last time I had fallen asleep in a pod. The cold still bit at my fingers and toes, making shivers go up my spine as I stud. The only difference from last time was that my eyelids felt lighter like I could actually open them. I stopped for a moment, trying to open my eyes. 

My eyelids fluttered for a second before there fully opened. It was almost like it had never opened my eyes do to the darkness that still stained my vision. 

The only way you could tell the difference was the bright white sparkles that filled the air of the endless black space surrounding me. My dazed hazel colored eyes moved around the room looking for anything , only finding more open space with nothing insight. I looked down at myself. I was luckily still dressed in my Gray and white paladin suit and armor. Thinking for I moment I wondered, if I could move my eyes mabe I could move the rest of my body as well.

With all the energy I had left in my body in my nume state I tried to wiggle my frozen nume fingers.

The nume feeling mixed with the searing burn of the cold made me wince as my fingers moved up and down. The pain slowly died down only leaving the cold feeling in the joints. I tryed harder to move the rest of my body as I stated to move my toes and feet and slowly my arms and legs. The pain was intense as I got onto my feet and moved a step or two forward making me almost cry out. 

The pain was nothing i had ever felt. The feeling of cutting glass filled my feet making me whimper before falling over on my knees.

I closed my eyes out of pain for only a moment and when I opened them my vision was filled with bright light. The bright light faded and only five pools of light covered the floor showing off the five giant metal lions that where there the last time I checked. 

The ones quite void was now filled with the sound of booming voices.

"Red this is not the time to be messing with blue, we need to have a talk. I am the leader here

"But she started it, Black!!"

"No you did you over grown red rat!"

"Guys can we all just calm down? Green and me just want to sit down with the Gray Paladin and have a nice conversation with, her?? Black is it a girl?"

"Yes my big friend it is."

"You guys are so clingy."

"Green calm down, she's here."

The Black Lion turned it's head to me making me rear back a bit on the floor. The other lions snapped there attention to me by turning there gaze down to me on the floor. I pushed myself up a little looking back up at them.

This was the first time I meet them in person before. 

Even after meeting Gray I never had the time to look and check out the other Lions. I could always keep myself busy with her. She always seemed to find a way to keep me entertained and busy for hours. It was her talent it seemed. 

The Lions stud still for a moment before sitting down on the floor, still looking down at me from there hight. The Black Lion, as always seemed to be the leader of the five and was starting the most. He seemed to be unfazed at the panicked look on my face. The Black Lion spoke up saying " Well, aren't you a large female human??" He poked me with one of his paws.

I puffed out my cheeks saying " Hey what's that mean buddy!?" "I don't mean anything by it! I just mean most human females are short and bones right? That's what I see in my report from Earth. You are tall and uh more curved then what we expected."

My eye twitched, what where they looking at! Yes I was tall and a bit cubby around place thanks to the Altean's and there food but hey they didn't need to be looking at me like that. I looked back up at the large lion saying "So anyway, why am I here? I know I'm in a pod right now." The Lions looked at one another and back at me. Slowly but surely they all stud up and walked over to me and started to walk in a circle around me.

Ok not normal, but ok.

Slowly they all found a spot to lay next to me. The yellow lion nudged me with its nose saying " She smells nice.." the Red Lion shifted as it snuggled into my hair saying " She's warm to. " The Blue Lion let it's head rest near my leg letting the tip of its nose rest on my leg, saying "And soft ." The Green Lion wrapped it's tail around me saying "Squishy."

The Black Lion just laughed at his team mates. I found it sweet. I need to know why I was here. Most of the time, in pods you would have no dreams just the cold feeling and not knowing what was having out side the pod. The Lions wanted to talk to me about something and it had to be really interested if they tryed to contact me like this. I looked at the Black Lion saying " You need to talk to me right? I'm all ears."

The Black Lion let out a sigh " You can tell, you know, the original paladins are..gone now right? " I slowly nodded, he was right. The moment I stepped out of that pod before Coran put me in this one, I know Zarkon was attacking. The other paladins had fallen before Alfor did, he was the last one Zarkon was after, he was gone now. I would never see him again. My smile fluttered.

I was alone again. 

Alfor was gone, I was the only original Paladin left.

I was next.

What if Gray choose a new Paladin? 

I was useless to Voltron now, I could help no one now.

Tears dripped down my cheeks as I said " Did my Lion pick a new Paladin yet?" The Black Lion shook it's head saying " No, no your Lion could never choose a new Paladin when it's paladin is still alive and breathing. Your still alive Grace. Your still needed." 

I wiped the tears from my face saying " What do you need of me?" The Lions looked away for a moment saying " You know we have chosen new paladin, unexperienced children. You job is long from over Grace, it's just getting started. We need you to teach them, take care of them, make them happy. You make us happy now all you have to do is help make them happy." 

I looked though puffy eye into the empty black space of the room. Happy? How was i going to make them happy? 

Mabe just being there would make them happy.

Before I could do anything my eyes closed and a bright light filled my vision. The Black Lion spoke ones more saying " Being happy starts with someone being there for you, no matter what. Look for that moment Grace. Good luck, take care of are paladins when we aren't there ok? Good luck young Gray Paladin! "

The voice cut out as a swipe of wind hit me and I felt myself fall forward.


	4. Chapter Four:Memories Of The Lost

10,000 years, that's how long he and Princess Allura had been froze. It felt like just yesterday he had joking with the King and assisting Allura with daily tasks around the castle. He missed his wife who had been dead for quite some time and his son who had followed after his footsteps, being a soldier in the kings army after the war had started.

Looking out of the giant control rooms window, he know. His son hadn't made it through the war like he had. His son was dead, he and Allura where the only ones to make it out alive from there planet. This was the moment he was happy that Allura had gone to bed early for ones. It had only been a few weeks since the rise of the second set of paladins had arrived in the Castle and they had set off back into space.

Sighing he closed his eyes for a moment. He lost his wife,son the king and even his best friend and fellow Paladin, Grace. The rest were dead but there was still hope for Grace. Maybe she had made it like the King had hoped for, what he had hoped for. Lynching that escape pod had made him upset but it also gave him a glimmer of hope in the moment of hard battle between the Altean's and Galra

Hope that she would make it through the war, and like she had promised him they would meet again.

Just thinking of her made him smile. The way she would smile and laugh at his jokes made him want to hug her every time he would see her. Thinking back to the start, she wasn't always like that. She was feisty and cold hearted when they had first started talking, she didn't trust him at all but after awhile he noticed how she would stop scowling when he entered the room or how her voice would lose the cold words that slipped past her lips, they soon turned sweet nothings that made the castle a even happier place.

She truly was the heart of Voltron.

The only thing that worried the old paladin was that she was considered a " Minor Part" of Voltron. Voltron could form without her and the Gray lion but without her, the Voltron paladins would be lost. The Gray lion was made to help all of the paladins of Voltron. The Gray lion and it's paladin where a coping mechanism for the rest of the paladins. The King had known that when new paladins roses, homesickness would set in, loneliness and pure fear would pull the team in. Voltron would not be able to form without trust and care from there fellow team mates,Grays paladin was chosen for their wisdom and open mindedness, to relate to all of the paladins at some point in there life.

Gray herself was a power booster for Voltron.

Coran couldn't imagine a universe without the women. She was truly a kind of her own, that she was in his eyes.

He gave a small chuckle before he was loudly interrupted by the loud blaring of the alarm that made it known that a Galra ship was near by. He quickly turned around and head towards a control panel. Just as he started setting up the castle's defenses the doors to the control room slid open revealing Princess Allura.

The man perked up at the young princess as she hurried into the control room and started alerting the paladins who seemed to be still in there rooms. Quickly getting back to work he let his mind refocus. Thinking on it, a good battle could do just the trick to make him focus and not think about the past.

One thing was for sure in his mind. Grace was still out there, hopefully still nice and safe in her pod and out of harm's way for now. It was only a matter of time before the paladins needed her. In Coran's mind, he hoped it was soon. Before Zarkon got to her and before he would have to lose his last friend from his past.

\--------------------Time skip-------------

The paladins retreated into the room of the ship after the hard long mission they had just come back from. The alarms had blared do to a emergency signal from a nearby planet who was in the process of being attacked by a small fleet of Galra ships. The paladins were able to fend them of quite easy but it was still a rough battle.

Everyday the paladins realised how hard it was becoming to form Voltron. And it was taking a toll on the whole team, physically and mentally.

If they couldn't form Voltron then they couldn't protect earth, or even the universe at that.

After getting into the room the paladins moved to there own desired seats. Pidge found a empty chair and sat down, Hunk sat next to her on the floor. Lance spread his aching body over the soft couch of the room hardly leaving room for Coran and Allura to sit next to him. Shiro took a note to just stand and Keith leaned against the door frame of the room. Shiro sighed and looked at the two aliens before saying "Princess Allura, I speak as the leader of Voltron. We need to talk about are new problem, before it was about trust and teamwork, we got over it, everything was fine but now we are doing even worse. What are we missing, it's been even harder to form Voltron then it was before."

Allura nodded and looked around at the paladins saying " Yes Shiro I can see that the team is having a problem forming and I must say." She paused looking at Coran for a moment and then looking back at Shiro " I have no idea what could be the problem. You all over come the trust exercise. There is no other thing that I can think of that could be causing the problem." Shiro nodded as the rest of the paladins rolled there eyes.

Keith looked over at the princess from the door saying " Are you sure? The whole team has been working to together for weeks now and we are still struggling to form Voltron! There has to be something that we are missing." Everyone, even Lance who most of the time would have disagreed with the other male agreed with his point. Allura sat still for a moment thinking everything over in her head that might be the problem.

Coran, who stood behind Allura looked down at his feet in deep thought. His thoughts where a jumbled mess at this point. He could tell them about Grace and the Gray lion now and get over the fact that He had something to do with losing her in the first place, tell Allura how he had been the one to send one of her father's best friends and trusted teammate into space with no way of finding her. He looked back up, his eyes scanned the room and the faces that occupied it. Making up his mind he know he couldn't tell them but he could give a hint. Coran cleared his throat saying " Ah! Princess i believe this battle was to long and hard for us to look back on for today, why don't we relax and we can come back with some ideas later? ".

Everyone looked to Allura as Coran spoke, looking for her reaction. She sighed before standing up and dusting off the long skirt of her dress and said "I believe Coran is correct! Let us relax and think, we have had a long fight today and believe it would be best If we clear are minds before we start discussing more tactics." Shiro nodded in understatement, everyone else just sighed and went there own ways to different parts of the castle. Pidge and Lance headed back to their own rooms as Hunk made his way to the kitchen to cook and bake and Shiro and Keith made there way to the training deck finally leaving Allura and Coran alone in the now quite room. Coran looked over to Allura saying " Princess are you going to go to your own chambers?" Allura hummed before saying " No I think i shall head to the garden for a little bit. Maybe it will take my mind off of all of this for a little while."

Allura headed out of the door and down one of the long corridors that lead to the castle garden. Coran had no intention of asking why she was heading to the garden, it seemed that she had been almost living in the garden at this point. If he couldn't find her in the control room or her room she was usually in the garden walking around. Coran himself didn't head to the garden often not since his wife was a live and Grace was still on the ship. To this vary moment He could still imagine Grace walking around the garden in the middle of the night complaining on how she couldn't fall asleep and how boring her room was late at night. He did remember following her around during that time, consistently trying to get her to stop wondering around and go back to her room to try and get some sleep that night, but boy was she stubborn. She would roam around, slowly making her way around the large room before finally stopping and would plop down, all while paying attention to Coran babble on.

After a while of hearing the Altaran go on and on she would lay down and close her eyes, Coran still didn't know even after knowing her for a while when she would fall asleep during his rant. He would just end up looking over at her to find that she was turned over with her eyes closed. Coran himself would end up falling asleep as well, to tired to make his own way back to his room. He would wake up to find Grace rolled over next to him, her leg tossed over his own legs and her face buried in his shoulder blades, her arms curled over her chest with her hands under her head. Her hair would be out in every direction as small snores would leave her lips, it was barely a sound that left her lips, it was almost like a soft purr like sound. He would ether just lay there or go back to sleep, one thing that annoyed him was how light of a sleeper Grace was. She could toss and turn in her sleep and not wake up but in you were sleeping next to her and turned over to sharp or made a small noise she would hit or slap before waking up. It seemed to just be instinct on her part to just curl up when something was sleeping next to her, it was quite adorable in a few aspects. Well not the part about being hit for moving in your sleep that is.

But she was cute in her own way, that is one sentence Coran could say without a doubt.

Just as that thought left his mind a idea popped into his head, the ring! A few weeks before Grace had been frozen and put into her healing pod she had talked about leaving a ring for Allura. After Grace was frozen Allura couldn't stop talking about how a pretty lady had shown up with ring as a gift for her. Maybe if he could find her ring and give it to Allura would remember Grace and go looking for her! He would just have to go searching for that ring himself.

Quickly He made his way down the corridors, being careful not to run into any of the Palidans that might be roaming the halls at this time. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong but at the same time in Coran's mind he was. He hated going behind Allura's and the rest of the Palidans back but if it was the only way to find Grace and get one of his last friends back, he would do it without hesitation. Coran lips turned into a angry frown as he meet Allura's door. Quickly he punched in the code to get into her room, happy that he could remember her long drawn out password to get in. Strolling into her room his eyes meet the neat nightstand, covered by makeup and littered with perfume bottles that clung to the edge of the stand, almost falling off the table. Getting to work he rummaged about her desk draw, under her bed and finally her nightstand drawers.

His hands roamed around in the drawer looking for anything that might feel like a small ring. His hand brushed against a soft but cold surface making him blink in confusion before pulling his hand out with the small object, a small red box coated in a soft layer of fabric. He ran his fingers over the top of the box a few times before opening it, he flicked his mustache a little as he looked at what was in the box. The ring was still as shiny as the first day that he had seen it when Grace showed it to him. She for once was ecstatic, blabbering on with bright pink cheeks about how she had made it all by herself and how she wondered if the princesses would like it. She did admit after showing him the ring that she would give it to the girl secretly hoping that she would not see her, but in the end it failed and she ended up being caught by the young altean princesses before she could leave it at the door.

Flashback~

 

Smiling he remembered how she had slowly drug herself back to the lions hanger with a deep blush on her cheeks and a small scowl on her lips. Coran had been working on some updates on the lions when she had walked in, he didn't pay much attention until she stud in the middle of the room. He flinched and stopped working on the lion as she gave a angry scream at the sky before tugging at her long hair in frustration " Why for the first time in my life do I have to try being nice and get caught doing it!?! I just wanted to be nice! But no, I have to be caught by a child! Uhhhh!!!" She proceeded to yell and rant before flopping down on the floor on her back. Getting back to work Coran said " So you got caught by the Princesses I see?" she grunted at the statement saying " Yep. I was just going to leave it at the front of her door for her to find when she came out but before I could even put it down she was just blam! right there in front of me!" Coran put a few codas into the lion saying " Well that's not so bad, why are you so shaken by it?" she rolled over a few times on the ground mumbling "Before I could even give her the present she started saying things.." Coran stopped for a moment and looked back at Grace who was still at this point rolling around on the floor. Coran sighed saying " And what did she say? I know little Allura can be a little rude at times but I have never seen her say anything to mean before.." Grace stopped rolling around and bolted into a sitting position, her hands over her face, her whole face was a deep red. She almost screamed out the reply " She-She said IWASPRETTY!!!!" Coran blinked scratching his head saying " Wait what? Your screaming way to fast and loud for me to even understand what you even just said."

 

She breathed in and out before saying in a slower but still screaming voice " She said I was pretty and that I should be a princesses too!!" she fell back onto the floor rolling around. Coran busted out laughing making Grace jump up and start hitting him, hard. The rest of the day was filled with Coran being chased by a overly annoyed Gray palidan who was hell bent on beating the crud out of the orange haired Altrean Assistant.

End of flashback~

Coran sighed, clutching the box a little harder in his hand. He quickly pocketed the box before retreating out of the room and down the hall, he needed to go find the mice.

 

Allura strolled out of the garden and into one of the hallways, after a few hours of hanging out in the garden she decided it best to head back to her own room for the day. Since she had awoken from her healing pod the garden had always been a safe haven for her to spend time in. It also reminded her of all the good time her and father had spent inside the garden itself. Even as a teen her father had spent time with her in the garden, walking around and talking or having a meal on the ground together. Moments that she would always remember, time she would get to hold for herself forever of her father. She smiled a bit as she walked back to her room.

After getting to her room she gave a small him as she put in her pass code to get into her room, the door have a small swish of air as it opened and she walked in, the door closing behind her. She slowly walked over to her night stand and looked in the small mirror that sat atop it.

She gave a sigh, she still didn't know what to tell the Palidans about the problem of forming Voltron. She could find no answer to give them at this point. She rubbed her temples before looking back in the mirror. Feeling a small tug at the end of her dress she looked down to find the small pack of mice at her feet. She gave a soft smile as they climbed up the side of her dress and stopped at her shoulder.She gently used a finger to run over one of the mice's heads making it let out a small squeal in joy. Allura was happy that the mice had been able to survive, they often reminded her of home, the home she could never go back to because it was long since destroyed. Before she had a chance to look back on that one of the mice pulled on her hand making her look up with tear filled eyes, one of the mice dragged a small red box up to her hand making the princesses pick it up. She studied the box for a moment trying to think of where she had seen it before, but nothing came to mind.

She slowly opened it and peered at the ring inside of the box. A light silver band with a clear pink gem in the middle,with two solid light blue orbs on both sides of the gem. Before she had a thought of saying she didn't know what kind of gems they were a voice, almost as clear as day popped into her head saying " The blue reminded me of your cheek markings, the stones are called blue howlite's there vary commune on my planet. And we'll i just think pink looks nice in you, this gems called a Rose Quartz. It's uhh super cute like you! " Allura almost dropped the ring. Her hands shook, she remembered that day. Thinking back she remembered the women in small aspects, she was tall even now she would be taller than Allura, she remembered a voice that cut in and out from a slightly deep female voice to a bit of a higher feminine voice that would draw you in. And what oddly enough she remembered about the women was how curved she was body wise. Thick thighs lead into wide hips and a slightly chubby stomach and a large chest, more curved than any other Altean women she had met or seen.

She remembered even calling her a princess.

She reminded the blush and the grin.

The cheeks.

She remember the pale cheeks that held no markings of a pure breed Altean.

The women wasn't Altean.

Allura shot up out of her seat knocking over a few things in her night stand, the mice ran from her stand and back to the walls of the castle. Allura shot out of the room, the ring still in hand as she ran down the hall yelling.

"Coran we must find the other princess! She must know what to do!"


	5. Chapter Five:Speak Nothing But The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a late chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, we are so close to seeing the paladins meet Grace! I wounded what will happen and what Coran will do when they meet after so long?

Allura's cheeks puffed out as Shiro said "So there is another Princess... but you have no idea who she is or where she came from?" Allura nodded saying "Yes! I remember meeting her as a child, I caught her sneaking around outside my room. She ended up telling me she was there to give me a present, I still have it look!" Allura pulled out the ring from one of the pockets of her dress and held it up. The Gems almost shined and sparkled in the light of the room but they also held a dull tone to them, like all tone to gems had died out. Shiro sighed and scratched the back of his head before straitening back up and crossing his arms. The palidans had filled the living room of the ship after hearing Allura run down the hall yelling.

 

Pidge looked up from the small hand held gadget she was working on and said "So another Princess? Do you remember what she looked like, you said she didn't look at all like a Altean? So why was she in the castle?" The room went silent as the though sank in, Everyone know that even back then, before Zarkon started the war that the castle was always under high security do to the Royal family living in the castle at the time. There was no way someone who was a outsider to the Altean Royal family would have been able to roam the halls of the castle and get so close to a young Princess Allura with out being caught.

Meaning the royal family know she was there and allowed the non-Altean women to walk freely around the castle.

Everyone was silent, all in there own minds thinking of theories and answers on the though. The only two not in a silent trance was Keith and Coran, Keith wasn't going to even try to think of a answer for the question at hand, it just wasn't him to go all out on something that happened so long ago and could have nothing to do with what was happening now in time. Keith's eyes trailed around the room at everyone, something he would never admit to doing more often then he should, just randomly staring at someone for no reason was something he would never admit to. He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts.

Looking around the room from his spot in the door way he noticed on person who seemed to be not so hard in though as everyone else was at the moment.

Coran, The older man twitched more then Keith had ever remembered seeing him twitch in the past few weeks since they had all be out here. The way his foot tapped slower and his thrums twitched at his sides, one thing Keith was good at was telling when someone was keeping something to there selves. Keith know the signs for someone who was trying to lie, as both a child and a late teen he had lied about a lot of things, both about little things and big things. This looked like a big thing Coran was trying to hide. And Keith was not having it.

He looked back over to Coran and cut the silents of the room by saying " Coran do you know anything about this?" Shiro looked over at the two saying " He has a point, Coran do you know anything at all? You where around at this time working for the King right?"

Coran stiffened where he stud, his body going rigged for a moment before slumping a bit. He sighed replying " You are correct I was working for the King at that time, I even lived in the castle. I was the Kings assistant for some time." Allura ginned in the background saying " So do you ever remember meeting this other princess?" Coran scratched his mustache. The older man sighed and slumped his shoulders, there was no way he could keep up the lie of not knowing anything. He had to tell the truth, for the universes sake.

He looked over to the paladins saying with his arms crossed " I did know this said women...quite well might I add." Allura shot up out of her seat saying " Then why didn't you say anything in the first place! This is important information, what if she has something to do with helping defeat Galar empire!" Lance piped in "So this women wasn't Altean? So what was she? was she a cutie~?" He flashed some finger guns in Coran's direction and gave a wink making everyone sweat drop at his statement. "I remember her quite well! She looked so different from anyone I had ever seen when I was a child." Everyone looked in her direction and came in closer. Hunk chimed in " Princess is there anyway you could describe what she looked like? maybe we can find her from your description if she is still alive." Allura nodded saying "I remember her quite well, Long pale legs with thick thighs, at least that's what I believe there called thanks to Lance's description once."  Everyone just stared in Lance's direction. the Cuban boy just laughed and scratched the back of his neck.

"She had a slightly larger stomach, a little like Hunk's but not as big and had a roll in it, Oh and she had large breasts as well! She was very tall even now she would stand taller then me, She had long reddish-brown hair in small waves and had green-hazel eyes. She was also super pale, maybe just as pale as Keith." Everyone processed what the princess had said. Hunk spoke saying "So she was human? I thought you said you had never meet any humans till us." She looked down deep in thought for a moment and then said " I believed I hadn't but now that I think back to meeting her she was defiantly human. Have you ever heard of a gem called Rose Quartz's before?" Pidge said raising her hand " Rose quartz's is found on earth and after looking it up, it can only be found on earth, why do you ask?" Allura held the box in her and opened to look down at the ring saying " When the women gave me the ring she said that the gem and the rocks around it where from her home planet, now that you say you can only find them on earth that must mean she was from earth and was a human."

Keith turned to Coran once more saying " Coran you have to tell us who this women was." Turning to the man everyone gave him a pleading look, asking him to answer the question. Coran said with a weak smile " Her name... was Grace. She was one of my best friends here at the castle, she was also...A paladin."

Everyone was shocked.

A paladin?   

The woman was a Paladin of Voltron?

With her brows knitted Allura said " I do remember clearly all the paladins and none of them where human." Coran said " That's because you never office meet Grace and the Lion she piloted was not a main Lion. Also Grace came along a while after the lions where first made." Shiro looked at him saying " So if this Grace didn't pilot one of our lions what lion did she pilot?" Coran sighed before saying " She piloted the Gray Lion." Pidge spoke up saying " Wait so this whole time we have been missing a piece of Voltron and you have said nothing about it?!"

Coran's shoulders shot up, his voice raised " You understand nothing about this!" Everyone flinched back a bit in there seats. No one had ever heard Coran raise his voice so violently before, not even Allura. His huffed a bit before saying in a calm voice "I was responsible for Grace, I was supposed to protect her and in the end I couldn't. The day of the attack I woke Grace up from a pod, I begged your father to let her fight because that is what she wanted, to fight for our people and universe! But your father said no and made me put her in a escape pod and shoot her into space in hope that Zarkon wouldn't find her or the Gray Lion! Grace was my only true friend besides your father, I didn't tell you because I was afraid that if I told you, then we would find her... and she would be dead, thanks to me.." A few tears slipped down the mans face.  
Lance got up and walked over to the man, wrapping a arm around his shoulders saying " Coran we are so sorry, but none of this is your fault, none of it." Everyone started crowding around he man, giving him hugs as more tears feel down his cheeks.

Everyone was quite as they hugged the man, letting everything sink in. Allura said in a quite voice " I am so sorry Coran." Keith Patted his back, small actions for words. Hunk squeezed the man a little tighter saying " Its going to be ok man, we are going to find her and she will be fine, Zarkon hasn't found her yet which is a good sigh. Will find her and bring her home, we promise." Hunk gave a sniffle himself.

Pidge spoke up " Wait Coran, you said you launched her escape pod right? Do you still have the route map in the castles system?"

Coran stopped for a moment and pulled him self together Saying " Its in the deep web of the castles database, where going to have to dig for it, but its there."


End file.
